Hundreds of supporters were queuing at Black Cat House, some from before daybreak, eager to get their Wembley tickets.

SUNDERLAND AFC have sold out their allocation of tickets for the team’s Wembley showdown.

The club announced over the weekend that more than 31,000 seats reserved for Black Cats fans for the Capital One Cup final against Manchester City on March 2 had been snapped up.

Tickets had been on priority sale to season card holders over the fortnight, with officials saying they have seen unprecedented demand.

Chief executive at SAFC, Margaret Byrne, said: “The interest in this game and the subsequent demand for tickets has been absolutely phenomenal, so much so, we could have filled Wembley many times over.

“When demand far exceeds supply, it is inevitable that some people will be disappointed.

“We would love to be able to take all of our supporters to Wembley with us but sadly it is simply not possible with the ticket allocation we have been given.

“We carefully considered every option available to us and believe that we have allocated tickets in the fairest way possible.

“It goes without saying that every single supporter is important to us, however, recognising and thanking our season card holders, seasonal hospitality members and key partners, who have been the backbone of our support through good and bad times, was our priority.”

The club also confirmed that it will not be receiving any additional tickets on top of the allocation that it has already been given.